The Moment
by WizardDemigodAvian-American
Summary: Fitz's perspective on 1x06 and specifically, the moment that he realizes that he is completely and utterly in love with his best friend.


**A/N: This is sort of a sequel to "Frankly, He's Jealous." You know the scene when Jemma kisses Fitz on the cheek? This is my version of that wonderful Fitzsimmons scene. Enjoy! 3**

 **\- Hayley**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Agents of SHIELD or any of its characters. Some lines are directly quoted from the episode. I (obviously) do not own those._

 _[Bus Kids Era]_

"Jemma," he breathes in a sigh of relief and a sob. He practically attacks her with a hug that still somehow manages to be careful and caring.

Jemma looks fragile and delicate and white as a sheet. She is battered and tired, but that happens when one possesses her immense strength. Fitz thinks that she is the strongest, most amazing woman he has ever seen.

Fitz pulls back from her slightly to take her in. He doesn't care that the whole team is surrounding them as they embrace. They've lost the need for physical boundaries quite a while ago. He has to see her. He has to know that she is okay.

Her skin is even paler than usual due to getting less sunlight on the bus. Her splatters of freckles are fading. Her brown hair is matted with sweat and tangled from her unexpected skydive.

She looks like a goddess.

Her innocent brown eyes show their first layer of pain and experience. Fitz knows that no amount of pain could ever mask her beauty. Dark bags appear under her eyes from worry and exhaustion.

Her nose crinkles up into a reassuring and shaky smile. She places her hand on his shoulder, and he finally takes another breath. She's here.

"I'm okay, Fitz. I promise," Jemma says and her smile never wavers while she looks at him.

That smile. That smile makes Fitz feel like the world might not be such a terrible place. The same world that can put him through the pain of losing her allows her to smile. As long as Jemma is smiling her beautiful smile, something must be right.

Her lips are chapped and parted in a smile. Fitz can't seem to move his eyes from her lips. They are chapped, but otherwise unharmed. Why, then, can he not seem to stop staring?

An urge to close the small gap between them and kiss her overcomes him. If only he could cup her face with his hands and brush a wayward price of hair from her face. If only he could feel her lips on his.

The surprise at such a reaction eliminates any minute possibility of such an action. Surely this is just a need to know Jemma is alive and safe. He can't feel that way for his best friend.

He doesn't doubt that he loves her. He hasn't doubted that, or whether she loves him, in years. They're Fitzsimmons. They're a team, a unit.

Nothing more.

Not as if that isn't anything.

In fact, it's the whole world.

Fitz smiles back at Jemma and nods.

"You probably want to rest or clean yourself up or the like," Fitz says standing a usual distance from Jemma (so, not very far) and already missing the feeling of her being in his arms.

"Yes, I suppose I should," she agrees.

* * *

Meeting with Coulson went better than expected. He isn't angry about the break in protocol. In fact, Fitz believes he has been covering for them. Coulson is merely angry at the prospect of losing Jemma Simmons. That's is something that Fitz understands perfectly.

That is, Fitz understands not wanting to lose Jemma Simmons. He, of course, cannot and will not ever understand losing her. Hopefully he never will have to.

The Bus is a dangerous place. They've already been pulled into the field, and they haven't even passed their field assessments. What is they aren't as lucky next time?

Not that Jemma was saved due to luck. He's a scientist. He doesn't believe in luck. It was their combined brilliance that created the antiserum that saved her.

Well, and Ward.

Ward with the bloody parachute saving the bloody day.

"Fitz?" Jemma says and sees him sitting on his bed deep in thought.

"Jemma," he says and his whole face lights up. She has changed her clothes and cleaned up her face. There's no evidence that she scarcely escaped death earlier today. That's the brilliance of Jemma Anne Simmons.

"Don't ever do that again," Fitz says as Jemma sits next to him in the bed.

"Contract an alien disease and jump off a plane? I wasn't planning on it, Fitz," she smiles sadly. Fitz doesn't laugh.

"That's not funny, Simmons. I-I... I," Fitz shrugs. He doesn't know what he'd do without her.

"I know. I'm sorry, Fitz. It... it was an impossible situation," she acknowledges and he nods in the silence, "but I'm okay."

"And I was going to do it," Fitz says. He'd jump out of a plane for Jemma in the blink of an eye. He could never live with himself if there was ever anything else he could have done to save her.

"I know you were," Jemma says and places her hand on top of his comfortingly.

"I had the antiserum, the cute... everything," Fitz explains, "I just couldn't get the straps on."

"Fitz, please," Jemma says.

"And, you know, maybe I couldn't have done the whole 'James Bond' in midair type of thing-" Fitz continues.

"Fitz, shut up," Simmons says with an exasperated tone.

"Please, just..." she continues. Words have never been either of their strongest suits, but they always find a way to say just the right thing to each other. "Ward did an amazing thing, yes, but it wasn't Ward by my side in that lab, searching for a cure. It wasn't Ward giving my hope when I had none. It was you."

"Hmm," Fitz says with a lopsided grin. Yeah, giving Simmons hope sound a good enough for him.

"You're the hero," Jemma says, and that's all Fitz has ever wanted to hear. All he's ever wanted is to be able to protect Jemma and make her happy.

"Yeah?" Fitz asks.

"Yeah, thank you," she says and kisses him on the cheek.

When Fitz feels her soft lips in his cheek, there is something he cannot deny any longer. Really, if he's being honest, he has known this fact since the Academy. It's just been pushed back behind science and friendship. That's odd because this is a very important fact.

Leopold Fitz is completely and utterly in love with his best friend, Jemma Anne Simmons in every way. This is not a new fact. That's why when Jemma stands up and leaves, he does not rush after her to tell her his new discovery. This isn't a scientific breakthrough.

Loving Jemma Simmons is second nature to him. He's loved her since they first became lab partners and he saw her organize the lab table so perfectly. And then she spoke. And the sheer amount of her brilliance almost knocked him over.

So, no, being in love with his best friend isn't actually a shock to him. While Fitz sits on his bed and holds a pillow, his mind is whirring with questions, but not _why._ He's not asking why he is in love with her. That would take much, much too long.

Fitz is asking when he fell in love with her. He's asking how he could possibly have never shared this with her. He tells Jemma everything. He's asking if it's possible she could ever feel the same way. He's asking if he could ever be brave enough to tell her. He's asking if he could ever risk their friendship.

He doesn't know the answers, but he does know one thing. He loves Jemma. For today, that's enough.

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! And a special thank you to walt658 for favoriting my last story, "Frankly, He's Jealous." Please review!**


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